Condo Plan Causes Stir In Town

Hearing Extended To Address Storm Runoff And Other Matters

HARWINTON — The town engineer found dozens of weaknesses in the plan for a 36-unit condominium complex near the Harwinton-Torrington line.

The development proposal has generated strong opposition in Torrington, where officials have hired a lawyer to represent their interests before Harwinton's planning and zoning commission.

The developers of the so-called Woodlawn Estates subdivision on land owned by Robert and Anthony D'Andrea of Torrington, sought an extension of the public hearing so they could address some of the problems the engineer highlighted. John P. Febbroriello, the developers' attorney, agreed to a commission request to extend the hearing process until Aug. 17, so that the public will have an adequate opportunity to review the plans.

State law requires public hearings to be concluded within 35 days of when they are convened, although an applicant may grant a 35- day extension.

Harwinton's town engineer, Charles V. Francis, said the developers' plans have 38 problems -- some of them major -- that must be addressed. He suggested the applicants withdraw their plans and resubmit ``when they get their house in order.''

The problems include inadequate sight lines along Mountain View Drive, the road on which the planned development would empty; the condition of Mountain View Drive; the lack of proposed improvements to the roadway; inadequate plans for storm water runoff. The plans also do not show the location of utilities and of a required 50-foot buffer zone.

``A lot of this may sound picky,'' Francis told the commission. ``I went through and read the regulations and this is what I saw.''

He highlighted storm runoff as a major weakness in the plan. Francis said the plan shows a storm water retention pond, but does not include enough information for him to determine whether it is adequate. Most of the storm runoff, he added, will go to Torrington and there's no information about how much Torrington's drainage system can handle. Without information from Torrington and permission to tie in to its storm water system, the plan is incomplete, he said.

There is ``no information about the capacity of that system to take the drainage,'' Francis said, adding he spoke with Torrington City Engineer Joe Cosentino on Monday. Francis said Cosentino told him that no one has talked to him about Torrington accepting storm water runoff from that Harwinton site.

Also, the system's capacity is far below what would be required according to the plan, Francis said. His concerns are similar to ones he voiced the day the public hearing opened, June 9. On that day Francis described the plans as ``incomplete'' and ``somewhat preliminary in nature.''

Randall McHugh, the lawyer representing Torrington, said Torrington officials must have an opportunity to review the storm water runoff plans.

``We want to make sure we're not flooded out down there,'' he said.

He, too, suggested the plan be withdrawn until the revisions Francis suggested were made.

Febbroriello said the developers want to continue with the process and that's why they want an extension. He said the developers' engineer will meet with Francis to sort out details. Francis agreed to the meeting, but said the developers'first stop needs to be Torrington city hall and Cosentino.